Kingston pupils preparing for moves to new schools

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- Sophie Finn Elementary School second-graders will visit Harry L. Edson Elementary School next week as part of an ongoing effort to prepare children for their new school assignments next fall.

Under a plan adopted by the Board of Education, Finn, Zena, and Anna Devine elementary schools will close in June. Finn students will go to Edson, Devine students will go to Robert Graves Elementary School in Port Ewen, and Zena students will go to Edward R. Crosby Elementary School in Lake Katrine.

District fifth-graders will move to J. Watson Bailey and M. Clifford Miller middle schools in what previously would have been their last year in neighborhood elementary schools.

Bailey Principal Julie Linton and Miller Principal Jo Burruby have both visited with fourth- and fifth-graders to talk about what to expect when they move to middle school.

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Parents have also had the chance to tour their children's new schools, and incoming middle schoolers have been surveyed about their feelings toward the change and what elementary traditions they would like to bring with them.

The Finn class visit to Edson marks one of many efforts to connect elementary pupils with their future peers.

Zena Principal Therese Higgins on Tuesday highlighted a friendly "Battle of the Books" competition with Crosby students that will test each group's knowledge about three books both groups will have read after the winter break.

Higgins and Finn Principal Paula Perez have also organized a pen pal program that links pupils from each building to their peers next year.

Perez, who was a principal at Frank L. Meagher Elementary School leading up to the building's closure last June, told the school board last week that when she took over at Finn in September, she emphasized making the school's last year a celebration.

"The first thing I noticed is the stark difference between Meagher and Sophie Finn," said Perez. "At Meagher, (there was) a lot of emotion, a lot of emotion, and I think that stemmed from the generation of people, students, staff, parents, grandparents that have gone through the building, and everything from the bricks to the nameplate here was so important. It was all about the symbolism of Meagher. Very different story here at Sophie Finn. I find that of course they're interested in the transition, but they've accepted it."

Students from each closing building will continue to visit their new schools, and parent teacher organizations have begun to jointly meet as the first steps toward a merger.

More information about upcoming activities of schools involved in the consolidation is available on the "Transitions" section of the district website, at http://bit.ly/TAFP6p.

At the central administration level, district Superintendent Paul Padalino told the school board last week that school officials continue to update enrollment projections to pinpoint class sizes and use of space, prepare for their move, look into bringing the Peaceful School Bus program and surveillance cameras to district buses, and plan new bus routes. He estimates the new routes are 25 percent complete.